Explaining

Alice remained rooted to the spot. Just how much did Gullinkambi know? And how much information was it willing share with them? In spite of his words, Frederick seemed unusually agitated. Gull had specifically asked to talk with him and Kar, after all. The rest were nothing more than bystanders. They weren't needed there. Yet again, they had to rely on him. Unconsciously, Alice grabbed Karabell's hand, squeezing it gently. His expression softened a little, but his eyes remained fixed onto the Superior. A sudden thought struck Alice, and her mouth droped open slightly.

"Um... I have a request," she started, her brow wrinkled. "We didn't really have time to worry about this, but don't you guys think we should do something about Gun?"

Shono and Karabell exchanged a concerned look, all color draining from their faces. They'd completely forgotten about the scientist. Several days had already passed, too.

"After the Aberrations' attack, we found one of the scientists in front of what had once been the AAD's base. He'd completely lost his mind, so bringing him with us to the Upper District was out of the question," Alice explained. "We locked him in the basement of our cabin to make sure he wouldn't get himself killed. Een gave him some food, but I don't know how long he'll last like that. His name's Gun. Well, we don't even know if he's still alive. I know it's a lot to ask, but please send someone to the Lower District. They aren't as fast as horses, but a feathered Aberration should be able to get there in no time..." Alice's voice shook as she spoke. She didn't want Gun to die a meaningless death. There was no denying that they'd abandoned him. So, if anything happened to him, it was their fault.

"Very well." Gull closed its eyes for a moment. Two feathered Aberrations got up lazily and started walking lazily towards the exit. Judging by the strange noises they were making, those two were both Garglings. "Traveling alone is a no-go, even for us. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find Gun."

How were they going to do that? They didn't even know where their old base was. No, maybe they did. Alice shivered. Were those the ones that had attacked the Agency? But they wouldn't have helped them if that were the case.

"So, what're you?" Frederick snapped unexpectedly. "Look, Karabell told me something before... He said I shouldn't keep pretending. So I'm not going to. I'm itching to kill you, so spill the beans already." After his short outburst, he immediately went back to his usual, slightly cold self. "Your kind had been killing ours for the past two millennia. I'm terribly sorry to pose this question so late in the game, but what exactly are Aberrations? And what in the world do you want from us?"

Gull let out a sigh, folding its hands in its lap. The creature's eyes glinted.

"Aberrations are... fast developing life forms. We're not that different from humans, in a way. But I'll get to that later. I should start by saying that I don't know anything about our origin. To my knowledge, there is only one being capable of providing an answer to that question. But I'm sure of one thing. We weren't supposed to ever exist in this world. We're monsters." Gull's voice trailed off weakly. "There are no female or male Aberrations. We use fragmentation to reproduce. A method similar with architomy. We split into fragments, which later develop into full-grown Aberrations by regenerating the lost organs or tissues. It's hard to describe, but, although it doesn't take long, the process must be intentional. What I'm trying to say is that if one or more body parts get cut off, those fragments won't be able to turn into Aberrations. They'll just decompose. An Aberration has to be willing to produce more of its kind in order for it to happen." Gull rose to its feet and drew closer to the window in front of him. "However, that only applies to regular and Gargling Aberrations. We Superiors simply aren't able to multiply, no matter how much we try. Aberrations don't seem to age either, though that might not entirely be the case. Immortality doesn't exist. I, for one, think we just age much slower than other creatures."

"Which means that if we stopped killing them, our world would become overrun with Aberrations in no time. And that has already more or less happened," Een interrupted, his voice pinched with pain. He shuddered. The Superior was right. Those creatures were monsters. However, something told him that it was as painful for Gull to talk about it as it was for them to listen.

"Exactly. Which is why we must nip the problem in the bud. Usually, Aberrations have no way to communicate with each other, which makes it impossible for them to hunt together. I'm sure you have already figured this out, but Superiors have the power to change that. We have the ability to communicate our thoughts without using words or gestures, also known as telepathy. Some use this ability to order lesser Aberrations around, like the furred Superior that attacked Base Yuna. They abuse their power, forcing others into submission by overwhelming them with negative emotions. But just because the other Aberrations can't talk, it doesn't mean they can't think." Gull's expression darkened. "I used this gift to link their minds together. They can freely talk to each other that way, with me acting as a medium. I like to think I made the right decision when I chose to do things this way. I can communicate telepathically with humans as well, though not for prolonged periods of time. You see, all these Aberrations and I, we've known each other for over forty years. I don't know what exactly causes Superiors to appear, and I still haven't been able to find out. I'm currently one hundred and nine years old, though that may or may not be an accurate number. I'm sure you are wondering why I know all those things. You see, these are pieces of information bestowed upon all Superiors. We were born with that knowledge. You asked about our goals, Frederick Sel. And this brings me to my next point... There's something out there that's a lot stronger than us. And a lot more dangerous."

Karabell smirked. Those were the words he'd waited to hear for such a long time. The Ringleader did indeed exist. Still holding Alice's hand, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. They were finally getting somewhere.